resort thither and so by stealths continue those superstitious abuses while the place standeth as now it doth We have therefore adjudged it the best and fittest meanes to prevent and wholly take away the continuance of that abuse hereafter that the place be defaced and utterly demolished And therefore We doe hereby order and resolve that Letters shall be dispached from this Board unto the Reverend Father in God the Lord Bishop of Clogher Sir Iohn Dunbarre high Sheriffe of the County of Fermanagh Edward Tarleton Esquier high Sheriffe of the Countie of Donnegall Edward Archdale and Leonard Bleverhasset Esquier and Archbald Areskon Clearke or any three or more of them whereof the said Lord Bishop or Sir Iohn Dunbarre or Edward Tarleton to be alwayes one Requiring and authorising them or any three or more of them as aforesaid by or before the third day of December next to cause the Chappell and all the Irish houses now scituate in that Island which is called S. Patrickes Purgatory all the buildings pavements walls workes foundations Circles Caves Cels and Vaults thereof of lime or stone or otherwise to be broken downe defaced and utterly demolished And that also called S. Patrickes Bed as also that Rocke or stoâ—e standing in the water there having a clift in it whith as is vainely said S. Patricke made kneeling at his prayers And also that stone covered there with water which hath the print of a mans foot which as the seduced people do beleeve S. Patrick made with standing thereupon and likewise all other things there whereunto those superstitious people have used to goe in pilgrimage And that they cause all the stones to be throwne into the Lough or water wherein the Island standeth saving onely such of the stones of the said Chappell as Iames mac Gragh Esquier the Proprieter of the Land will forthwith carry cleere out of the Island and make use of in some other place We doe also order that the same Iames mac Gragh shall forthwith enter into Bond to the Clerk of the Councell for his Majesties use in the summe of one thousand pounds English with condition to be are all the charges necessary for the performing of all that by this Order is required to be done and to be personally present at the seeing of it done and not to suffer any interruption or impediment to be given therevnto And that such of the stones of the Chappell as the said Iames shall carry out shall not at any time hereafter during his life be againe returned to that Island And that he shall from time to time take order that no person or persons be admitted at any time hereafter during his life with his permission or knowledge or privily to goe into that Island or place called S. Patrickes purgatory to the end to say Masse there or to performe any pilgrimage offerings or any other superstitious Ceremonies there And that he shall saffer no Boate to bee kept there to passe to or from the said Island And that during his life there shall not be any conventions there of Iesuits Fryars priests Nuns or any other superstitious Orders of the popish pretended Cleargie that the said mac Gragh shall be able to prevent which Bond being so entred into the Sargeant at Armes in whose custodie the said mac Gragh now remayneth is upon Certificate hereof from the Clerke of the Councell to release the said mac Gragh he paying his due fees For which a coppy of this Order attested by the Clerke of the Councell shall be his warrant Dated the 13. of Sept. 1632. Charles Wilmot Roger Ranelagh Iohn King Thom. Baltinglasse William Parsons Thom. Rotheram Of the execution whereof the Lord Bishop of Clogher chiefe of the Commissioners gave this following account by his Letters dated Octob. 31. 1632. directed To the most Reverend Father in God IAMES Lord Archbishop of Ardmagh Primate and Metropolitane of all Ireland his Grace MOst Reverend my Most honoured Lord Your grace like enough may be desirous to know what is don touching the demolishing of S. Patricks purgatorie required by the Lords Iustices and Councell to be done by me and some other joynt Commissioners with me May it please your Grace then The next day after I tooke my leave of your selfe at Ardmagh I sent the Coppy of the Lords Iustices and Councels Letter with the Order and Commission to every one of my fellow Commissioners and appointed our Randevouze at the Towne next Lough-derge the 25. day of this instanâ— October From them I received answer that they might well come alone but could get none to accompany them or any labourer or tooles upon any tearmes And that an hundred men were not able to execute the Commission in a fortnight notwithstanding whereof I required them againe to keepe the day and assured them howsoever that I my selfe would be present and accordingly I came to the place appointed the 24. day with some twenty able men in my company any well armed and brought with us all sorts of tooles fitting for the service If I had not come so appointed we had returned without effecting any thing For the high Sheriffe of Donnegall came not at the day The high Sheriffe of Farmanagh on the other side came no better accompanied than with one serving man and shewed himselfe altogether unwilling and refused to enter the Island I had many discouragements my selfe For first I was forced on a rainy day on a bleake place without any shelter to horse or man three houres before we could have the Boate. The winde in the meane time did rise and there was none could take in hand to guide the Boate through dangerous rockes lying betweene the maine and the Island Againe we were certified that we might be hardly put to it for fault of victuals if we tooke them not in with our selves for the winde would sometimes blow ten dayes together so strong that no Boate durst venture to goe out or in notwithstanding all which discouragements I adventured to goe in without victuals and stayed in the Island till the service was done The first thing I searched diligently after was the Cave wherein I remembred your Grace enjoyned me to digge to the very foundations and leave no corner unsought and so I did I caused to digge about it on all sides till I came to the Rocke but found no appearance of any secret passage eyther to the Chappell or to the Lough neyther would the nature of the ground suffer it in a word this Cave was a poore beggerly hole made with some stones layd together with mens hands without any great Art and after covered with Earth such as husbandmen make to keepe a few Hogs from the raine When I could finde nothing there I undermined the Chappell which was well covered with shingles and brought all downe together Then wee brake downe the Circles and Saints Beds which were like so many Cole-pits and so pulled downe some great Irish houses
of Ireland and from the Pryor and Convent of the said Purgatory with others of great credit As also by other cleere evidences that the said Nobleman hath duly and couragiously performed that his pilgrimage we have therefore thought sit favourably to give unto him Our Royall testimonie concerning the same And to the end there may be no question made of the premisses and that the Truth of them may more clearely appeare unto all men We have thought good to grant unto him these our Letters sealed with our Royall Seale Given at our Pallace at Westminster the 24. day of October Like Letters and of the same Date hath Nicholas of Ferrara a Lumbard See here to what an height from so obscure a beginning it is now risen not onely visited from all parts but also Tested in so high and eminent a manner and that as you have heard done with so great deliberation and advice as a matter of the greatest consequence Yet how farre the Teste runneth you see that it is but onely of The due performance of the pilgrimage And here it is to be observed that in the times of Edward the third of England the Esteeme of this Purgatory was at the height after it had been rising thereunto 186. years for so long it is betweene Henry of Saltry anno 1140. and Edward the third anno 1326. And within the compasse of this Kings Raigne wee shall finde much more noyse of it and pressing to it even from farre then eyther before or after as that of Ramon the Spanish Viscount Anno 1328. if wee beleeve the date in the beginning of his Raigne of whom wee shall hereafter have occasion more largely to discourse together with that following being 37. yeares after Yet in the said Kings raigne also That I meane which wee finde Recorded in the Registrie of Ardmagh sent unto me by the now most learned Primāte for the furthering of this worke being Letters recommendatory from Milo Archbishop of Ardmagh in the yeare 1365. on the behalfe of certaine Pilgrims The words are these Milo by divine permission Archbishop of Ardmagh Primate of Ireland to the religious and prudent man the Pryor of Saint Patricks Purgatory in Loghderg within the Diocesse of Clogher And to all others the Cleargie and Laitie within the Province of Ardmagh everlasting health in the Lord. Iohn Bonham and Guidas Cissi comming to us have related that they have for devotions sake gone in pilgrimage and visited many holy places and that they are desirous for the health of their Soules to see the place called the purgatory of Saint Patricke our Patron which is in the Diocesse of Clogher aforesaid Wee doe therefore entreat and exhort in the Lord all and every by whom these strangers shall passe that you would entertayne and receive them courteously And that of the goods which God hath bestowed upon you you would afford them some charitable helpe not suffering asmuch as in you lyeth any molestation or disturbance to bee given them By which meanes we doubt not but that you shall be partakers of that their devout labours Dated in the Citie of Downe the fifteenth day of March in the yeare of our Lord one thousand three hundred sixty and five And of our Consecration the fift It were easie to exceed in testimonies of this kinde yet will I adde onely One more being 120. yeares after This in the yeare 1485. about the beginning of the Reigne of Henry the seventh King of England That it may be seene how long it held up in that great esteeme These are Letters Testimoniall of Octavianus Archbishop of Ardmagh given to certaine French Pilgrims Unto all the Children of our mother the Church to whom these our letters Testimoniall shall come Octavianus by the grace of God and of the See Apostolike Archbishop of Ardmagh Primate of all Ireland wisheth everlasting salvation in the Lord wishing you would without question credit what followeth Seeing it is an holy and meritorius thing to give your Testimonie unto the Truth chiefly seeing our Saviour Christ the Sonne of God came downe from heaven into this world to beare witnesse of the truth Hence it is that by these presents we make knowne unto you that Iohn Garhi and Francis Proly of the Citie of Lyons Priests and Iohn Burgesse their boy and servant the bearers hereof Men of good repute and piously affected did visit the Purgatory of the holy Confessor Saint Patricke the Apostle of Ireland within which the sinnes of offenders are even in this world purged And the mountaine in which the said holy Confessor did fast without Temporall meate forty dayes and fortie nights together with other holy places of devotion and things of greatest observation in Ireland And that afflicting their bodies in fasting and prayer according to the Ceremonies of that place they did for acertaine time remaine in that Purgatory as it cleerely appeareth to us And that by the power of CHRIST our redeemer they did contemplatively encounter all the fraudes and fantasticall temptations of the Devill devoutly so finishing their pilgrimage and desiring the merits and prayers of the said Saint to the most High whom by these presents we receive into the protection of us our Church of Ardmagh and of the said holy Confessor whose manners life and perfection we doe recommend unto you all of which wee are confident having two yeares conversed with them Which few among infinite others will sufficiently declare the wonderfull rising and as strange continuance of this purgatory that from the times of Henry of Saltry that I may not with others rise higher untill this of Octavianus Ann. 1485. that is for 345. years For after this did it begin to Decline againe For we finde it solemnely demolished within twelue yeares after in the yeare 1497. during the Reigne of the said King Henry the seuenth of which in its due place Yet if what hath beene said seeme strange unto any that eyther so obscure a thing should so befoole the world into so great an admiration of it or that so generall a delusion and of so long continuance should on so small or no grounds be mantayned let him consider the slavish feare into which by the Popish Doctrine of purgatory the world had bin brought with feare whereof many have all their lives long been held in bondage being told that all the sorrowes in this life labours want banishments prisons shame miseries calamities wounds nay death it selfe are nothing to the paines of purgatory All which with how great cost men seeke to redeeme is not unknowne Hence those Masses and prayers for the soules departed that they might bee eased if not delivered of those paines Hence those large Legacies both of Lands and Annuities bestowed for the continuance of that charitable worke But the hazards are great and much uncertaintie is there in this course And first for the Rich and the most bountifull in this kinde it may happen that the care
into Saint Patricks Purgatory Neyther will I divulge all that there I saw onely those things which I might lawfully relate When Charles the French King was dead to whose care I was recommended by my dying Father I did repayre to Iohn King of Aragon in Spaine whose subject I was by the law of Nations my possessions lying within his Dominions He did alwayes esteeme of me asmuch as a King could a subject and mine observance of him was as great Hee first made me Master of his Horse and after gave me the Command of three Gallyâ—s for the service of Pope Clement And after his death I served under his successor Pope Benedict the thirteenth at which time the newes was brought to me of my Kings death with which sad relation much perplexed I did earnestly desire to know in what estate the Kings Soule was or if in Purgatory it were what paines it there suffered whereupon I called to minde what I heard reported of Saint Patrickes purgatory and resolved to visit it that I might aswell know some certaintie of the King as for obtayning pardon of God for my sinnes And first fearing I might fayle of my dutie if without leave from the Pope I had undertaken that pilgrimage to him I made knowne my resolutions desiring his favour that I might be gone But he so mamely apposed himselfe to mine intentions that scarcely did I know how to gayne-say But at the last by much impoâ—…itie I gayned so farre with Pope Benedict the thirteenth that I was with his blessing confirmed in it and so departed from Avignion where hee then was in the yeare after the birth of our Lord one thousand three hundred twenty and eight in the Month of September about the Even of that day which is sacred to the blessed Virgin First I went to the French Court in Paris whence I departed with the Kings Letters of Recommendations to his Sonne in law the King of England of whom I courteously was received and with his Letters sent away into Ireland When I was come to Dublin the Metropolis of the Kingdome I did addresse my selfe to the Earle of March brothers sonne to Richard being then Deputy of Ireland he having received the King and Queenes Letters did receive me honourably But understanding my resolution he laboured by all meanes to disswade me laying before me the great dangers of that Purgatory in which many had miscarryed but prevailing with me nothing he sent me to Drogâ—eda to the Archbishop of Ardmagh to whom in matters of Religion all the Irish without contradiction are subject who having perused the King and Queenes Letters with those from the Earle of March hee entertayned me lovingly and freely and endeavoured to divert mee shewing how difficult the enterprise was and that many went thither who never returned But seeing my resolution he did absolve me dismissing mee with Letters to O Neyle the King from whom with gifts I departed to a Village called Tarmuin that is to say Protection or a Sanctuary The Lord of this place with his brother shewed me great courtesies and in Ferryes waâ—ted me and my followers into the Island where the Purgatory was together with many others who from severall Nations flocked thither to visit this Purgatory I was conducted into the Church of the Monastery and being by the Pryor in the presence of many questioned I shewed the reason of my resolution that I purposed to commit my selfe into the Purgatory then he Thou hast undertaken a difficult and dangerous thing which some few have attempted yet could not compasse I doe confesse indeed that to descend into purgatory is easie but-the chiefe worke is to returne thence For the torment of that place is beyond all credit in which men otherwise of good constancie have so fayled that they have lost themselves bodies and Soules To all which I answer that seeing I came thither purposely and to that end it was expedient I should proceede To which he If such be your resolution then doth it be hove that thou observe the rites of this place in manner as they were by Saint Patricke appointed and by my predecessors observed Shortly after the Priests adjoyning with all the Religious of the Convent being called together that Masse was Celebrated with Musicke and solemnity which is used to be sayd for the dead which being finished and all Ceremonies observed the Priests being placed in order I was in Procession brought to the Doore of the Cave where the Letanie being sung I was sprinckled with holy Water and the Doore being opened the Pryor thus said publikely Behold the place into which thou doest desire to enter but if yet thou wiâ—t be by me advised change yet thy resolution yet if thou wilt needs goe forward attend while I briefly tell what shall happen to thee First Gods messengers shall meete thee and by them shalt thou be taught what to doe After shalt thou see devils who by all meanes will seeke to deceive thee sometimes by flattering speeches againe by threatnings other whiles with tormenting thee but thou shalt be freed from all their cruelty by pronouncing these words CHRIST the Sonne of the living God have mercie upon me a Sinner These things have we heard to have happened to those who have returned from purgatorie After this I kissed them all and bade them farewell So going into the Cave after whom followed an English Knight we were forbidden to discourse on which they report death to be imposed So the doore being locked the Pryor with the people returned Now when I was shut in and had taken notice of the greatnesse of the Cave which I conceive to be about foure Elnes I found the inner part thereof to turne and extend it selfe a little to the left hand as I went in Where I had troden I found the ground under mee so weake and shaking that it seemed as though it could not beare a man therefore fearing to fall into some unknowne depth I did step backe and having setled my selfe in the Catholike Faith and being firme in my resolution I did cast my selfe on my knees to pray supposing there had beene no more to be done But about one houre after I did begin to tremble everie joynt of me to sweat and to be heartsicke to vomit also as if I had beene in some long voyage at Sea In which troubles I was overtaken with sleepe but againe rowsed up with the noyse of a great Thunder which was not heard by me alone but of as many as were in the Island with which they were the more astonished in that it was a cleare and faire day The feare of which suddaine thunder was not over when a new and greater terror seized on me for scarcely was I awake when that I did slide downwards about six Elnes with which suddaine fall notwithstanding that I were fully awakened and affrighted yet did I not recover my selfe untill I had sayd those words the Pryor taught me Christ thou
Viscount to that Purgatory to be purged with him But this is not all For secondly after the decease of Charles the fourth King of France there succeeded in the yeare 1328. Phillip of Valois to whom in England Edward the third was Contemporary this Edward began his Reigne anno 1326. two yeares before and dyed in the fifty first yeare of his Reigne To him succeeded Richard the second here spoken off And in a Parliament held anno 1385. which was the ninth year of Richards Reigne was Roger Mortimer Earle of March proclaimed Heire apparant to the Crowne Shortly after which this Roger sailed into Ireland where he was Deputy at which time this pilgrimage was said to be for from the French King he brought letters to Richard and from Richard to the Earle of March then Deputy But deducting two yeares from the fifty and one yeares of Edward the third the remaine is fortie nine to which adde nine yeares of Richards Reigne at which time the Earle of March was Deputy it maketh up fifty and eight yeares so that by this computation this Pilgrimage must have beene 58. yeares before this yeare of Richard and as many before the Earle of March for so long is there between the yeare 1328. 1386. The time of his being Deputy and how these things will hang together I see not Neither can this be supposed to be such a mistake as that the figures might be mis printed 1328. for 1386. for in the Margent of that Legend the figures are 1328. but in the body of the Discourse it is thus at large I did set forward in the yeare after the birth of our Lord One thousand three hundred twenty and eight And the same Author in another booke set out since relating the same story hath it in the same words at large In the yeare one thousand three hundred twenty and eight not in figures But it is yet more inconsistent For Richard King of England is said to be Sonne in Law to the then French King unto whom Letters recommendatory are brought by the Viscount from his Father in Law True it is that Richard was affianced unto Isabell daughter of Charles the sixt of France but that was so farre from being in the yeare One thousand three hundred twentie and eight that is was in the year one thousand three hundred ninty six that is sixty and eight years after Neither could it be when the Earle of March was Deputie of Ireland which was about the yeare One thousand three hundred eightie and five nine or ten yeares before so that either Richard was not Son in Law to the French King or the Earle of March was not Deputy when the Viscount came into Ireland Neither is it lesse absurd which is added That the Earle of March the Deputy having received the King and Queene of Englands letters did honourably receive him For what Letters could the Queen write shee was but seven years old when he was as I said affianced to Richard and not full twelve when by the Lord Henry Piercy she was brought backe into France after Richards death Neither could she write to the Earle of March being Deputy of Ireland unlesse we should suppose her to have written three or foure yeares before she was borne And as foolishly is the Earle of March made to be Richards brothers Sonne Richard having no Brother he being the sole surviving Sonne of Edward the black Prince And Roger Mortimer being the great grandchild of Edward the Third descended from Philip daughter of Lionell third sonne of Edward the Third which Lionell was brother to that Edward the black Prince and Uncle to Richard So that considering this Masse of absurdities from first to last any one I suppose may well guesse how false this Legend is and this Imposture may give just cause to suspect this and all others of the like Fables But I much wonder that the translator O Sullevan whose faculty was singular that way did not helpe out the matter better than he hath done but either he saw it not or if he did he thought it dangerous to stirre in it and to raise up any doubts supposing it might as well passe after as hitherto it had without discovery thinking it may be that none would so farre question it Neither could O Sullevan be so simple as to conceive such a childish dreame could passe without some observation therefore to prevent it he laboureth to cast a mist before his Readers eyes If this History saith he be in any thing which we have shewed in many things if not in all hard to be beleeved what then Let him that desireth to be satisfied reade Dionysius Carthusianus who reporteth like Histories of others who returned from this Purgatory But what are like Histories to this what if they be as false as this But Dionysius saith he doth prosecute the matter at large answering all Arguments and doubts that can be made against it This indeed is to some purpose if so it prove but I rather suspect this to be O Sullevans cunning to direct the Reader and take him off from prying too neare into that of the Viscount yet least we may seeme to prejudicate him let us heare what Dionysius doth say to this purpose First saith he Dionysius confirmeth this by the like Relations He indeed among other Histories proving that Soules departed are purged in such flames giveth us one of Tondall an Irish Knight who lived about Henry of Saltry's dayes He Balaeus speaking of that Henry flourished then when Tondall the Carthusian in Ireland being revived returned to his owne from Purgatory reporting visions calling him a Carthusian whom in others we reade a Knight it may be as Owen the Knight putting himselfe into the Cistercian Order so he into the Carthusians Neither were they farre distant from each other both Owen and Tondall being in K. Stevens dayes this last being about the twelfth yeare of his Reigne both which administred abundant matter for Henry to write The Legend of Tondall is this in effect that his Soule was separated from his bodie three dayes like that which we before did reade of Tymarchus whose Soule was sent on the like errand two dayes and one night In this differing from that of Owen whose body also went along This Soule of Tondall is by an Angell conducted into Purgatory where it saw many strange things among the rest a beast of incredible greatnesse which may easily be believed whose mouth seemed capable of nine thousand armed men just nine thousand within whom were many thousands of men and women grievously tormented this was a thing not observed by Owen the Knight or that our Viscount for this Purgatory is beholding to these great Titles of Viscounts and Knights for the upholding of the credit of it but to goe on This Soule of Tondall is brought to a place where over a lake there was a bridge two miles long and but one palme broad full
Dionys. Carth. ibid. art 25. p Satisfactio non offertur pro culpa sed pro paena Bellarm. lib. 4. de Poenitent cap. 1. q Dionys. â—bid art 30. p. 458. 459. 460 461 462. 463. r Ibid. art 31. p. 463 c. s Veruntamen â—ee Doctoribus coÌ„tradico propter visiones nec propter doctorum traditionem audâ—o tot sanctorum hominuÌ„ visiones revelationes appellare phantasticas aut mendosas quandiu Ecclesiae super hoc nihil determinat nam qui eas scripserunt approbaverunt fuerunt religiosissimi doctissimi viri Idem ibid. t Vidit aetas nostra sacerdotem cui persuasissimum fuit nihil omnino falsum esse quod semel Typis fuisset excusum Canus loc Theol. lib. 11. cap. 6. pag. 336. u Horum determinationem alijs magis commitro si concordari haec queant peritis relinquo quia nec tantis Doctoribus nec tot revelationibus contradicere audeo determinationi Ecclesiae haec tutius committuntur Dionys. Carth. ibid. art 30. pag. 467. x Verum historia haec à multis non recipitur propter illud maximè quod ibi dictuÌ„ est Animas à purgatorio liberatas noÌ„ statim ad caelum evolare sed in Paradiso terrestri tanquam in loco quietis intermedio teÌ„poraliter commanere Cum è contra nullus credatur locus esse medius animarum inter purgatorium caelestem paradisum Vincent Belluacen speculo Histor. tom 4. lib. 20. cap. 24. p. 270. y Purgatorij sancti Patricij historia noÌ„ recipitur Ant. Archiâ—p Floren. Châ—…on tit 1. ca. 18. § 2. de Patricio Anno Domini â—00 pag. 202. part 2. opera studio Petri Maturi 〈◊〉 soâ—…ate Iesâ— z Sed si dicatur ut à quibusdam de illis partibus communiter asseritur quod post mansionem in isto loco purgatorij per aliquod tempus breve in quo sustinent magnas paenas laesiones à Daemonibus tantum per imaginationem inde egressi in mundo vivant ut alij per illas paenas purgatorij satisfaciant paenis debitis pro peccatis nullum videtur sequi inconveniens Idem ibid. a Nec enim obstat quod loco citato Vincentius BelluaceÌ„sis contra 〈◊〉 dictam Historiam opponit illam à multis non recepipropter illud maxime quod dicat animas a purgatorio liberatas noÌ„ statim evolate in caelâ—… sed in paradiso terâ—…stri tanquam in loco quietis intermedio teÌ„pore commanere posteae statuto tempore in patriam pervenire Nâ— nullus est ex omnibus quos de hac reâ—…cribentes legere potui qui dixerit illud fuisse purgatorium animarum corpore solutarum quae à paenis purgatae non statim ad caelum evolarent sed in quiunt fuisse purgatorium viventium qui verè poenitentes illud ingressi paenas illas atrocissimas sive per veram passionem sive per imaginariam apprehensionem sustinentes à paenis omnibus pro peccatis debitis purgabantur quemadmodum alij infiniti in hac vita degentes pro paenis iliorum peccatis in purgatorio debitis hic vel per jejunia vel per alia poenitentia opera vel per indulgentiarum applicationem satisfaciant qui nisi nova peccata admiserint ex hac vita migrantes ad caelum sine alio purgatorio statim evolant Quae sententia tam probabilis est Catholica ut non possit ab aliquo nisi in hac parte ignaro erroris insimulari Gabr. Pennotus Hist. tripâ—… Cleric 〈◊〉 lib. 2. cap. 34. Col. 2. num 2. pag. 363. b Fortia sunc quae moves difficilia ad solvendum mallemque super his instrui quaÌ„ docere unde nec de ista materia volo quid dicere cum assertione incautâ Dionys. Cart. ibid. art 25. 〈◊〉 fine c Et alij authores plura multa purgatorij cruciamenta tradunt Philip O Sull. ubi 〈◊〉 d Quod Virgilius canit Si mihi sunt linguae centum c. ibid. e Bellar. de purga lib. 1. cap. 11. f O Sull. Patr. decad lib. 1. c. 9. g Illud etiam à Mahumetan admitri Alcoranus Mahumetonae legis liber monstrat ibid h Vitg. Aencid lib. 6 * Rom. 1. 18. 2 Thess. 2. 10 11. e Vbi per diem naturalem paeniteÌ„s verè ab omnibus peccatis purgaretur tormenta gaudia videret Ex Chro. Hart. siue schâ—del excus Ann. 1495. f Bellarmin de script Eccles. ad Annum 1265. g Legitur quod sanctus Patricius impatravio cuidam quod puniretur in quodam loco in terra ex hoc fabulosè ortun est quod ibi esset purgatorium Bonavent in 4. lib. sent distinct 20. q. 6. h Sane D. Bonevent in 4. d. 20. part 1. q. ult Etsi quae de dicto purgatorio dicti Patricij in universum traduntur fabulosa esse suspicetur ait tamen D. Patricium impetrasse cuidam quod puniretur in quodam loco in terrâ Et ex hoc fabulosè ortum quod ibi esset puâ—gatorium Vbi vides sanctum doctorem non negare quin poterit sanctus Patricius pro aliquo impetrate ut in eo loco purgaretur Sed solum rejicere sabulam asserentium purgaterium ibiâ—loci esse sicut merito rejicienda est Nam qui de saâ—…i Patriâ—… purgatorio loquuntur non diount illud fuisse Del 〈◊〉 quo homines hat vita degentes verè poenitentes pro paenis illorum peccatis in hâc vitâ debitis ex speciali â—…ne â—…ant Gabriel Pennot 〈◊〉 Tripâ—… Cleric Canonic lib. 2. â—…p 34. Coâ—… 2. Num 2. Româ— 1624. i Supra pag. 108. See also the Epist. Deare of O Sullevan not doubting of it but making it a thing very certaine k In Hibernia etiam est puteus sancti Patricij in lacu est enim insula ubi puteus per sex gradus in saxo descendit Non ut Mythici canunt in foro Ego ingressus omnia vidi inquit Briagus PoÌ„tifici virumnij hist. Dritt Epist. Dedicaâ— pag. 23. l Clari PatricioÌ„ sauctissimo viro à quo Christiani facti durat sui nominis Antrum quod ingressos fabulantur ad manes venire nec ridere ultrâ cuÌ„ redierint magnâ vanitate Ioach. Vadianus in Annotat. in Pomp. Mela lib. 3. pag. 171. m Sed de hâc re fidem meam non obstringo neque enim hanc meam litem facere volo Sed ea Lectori nostro subâ—â—ahere nolo quae author noster qui tam sâ—…a tamque sacra se contestatione illigavit lectori suo subijcere operae precium puravit Nicholis Harpâ—sâ—ld best Angl. Ecclesia sex primis saeculis cap. 21. de sancto Patricio pag. 34. n Bellarm. descript Eccles. ad Aâ—… 1500. o Hibernici purgatorium memoriant sancti aliquando Patricij c. Somnia monstra volitantia quae anilibus inanijs propriora sunt rerum gestarum ordini â—on putavi inserenda Aâ—… 〈◊〉 histor Dâ—… lib. 2. cap. 24. pag. 43. 44. p 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ex Annalibuâ— ultoniensibus MSS. ad 〈◊〉 Dom. 1497. q Horribilis vorago sine abyllus Petrus Lombard Com. de regno Hiber r Circulus intra cujus ambitum hiatus ingens aspectu horribilis per cujus occultos sinuosos â—…tus luctus ejulatus lamentabiles voces audiebaÌ„tur sicut traditio fidelis multique non ignobiles authores referunt Thyr. disturs Paneâ—… de miracul S. Patricij s Est alius hiatus profundissimus sic nuncupare velimus Antrum celebratissimum in Hiberniâ— de quo meminisse libet antequam hinc abeamus Cum sanctus Patricius praedicaret Hibernis nec eos per miracula nec per comminationem futuratum paenarum nec per promissâ— celestium gaudiorum possit convertere Deus per ejus preceâ—locum 〈◊〉 mirabili hiatu ac profunditare inscrutabili per quem in purgatorium descenditur Simon Mayolus diebus suis Canicularibus col 15. de Anttis 〈◊〉 pag. â—37 t Tertio notandum nonnullos opinari ipsum antrum seu puteuÌ„ sancto Patricio à Christo Domino ostensum vel incognitum esse in conspicabilem vel saltem non eundem esse quem peregrini ineunt cuÌ„ in specu excluduntur ad horas 24. sed vel subtus delitescere vel paucis deinde passitu distare Ita ex veteri traditione retuiitnobis R. D. Iohannes Gameus Abbas de Leathra Iohannes Furnus mac KegaÌ„ sacerdos septuagenarius Alij opinati sunt ignorari paenitus locum nec appariturum hominibus nisi in fine saeculi ut desepulchro Moysis veteres Haebraei de Arca Testamenti ante regressum à Babylone Sic de hoc puteo sentiendum esse Atque hanc opinionem Patri Eugenio Duffio ex instituto sancti Francisci vulgate pietatis viro me audiente tribuebat Toninus Mulchonrius rei antiquariae ex officio deditus ipse dierum perantiquus Roth. apud Thom. Mess. de Purgatorio sancti Patricij cap. 1. num 15. pag. 93. u Si vera sit Duffij Gamâ—ney Contij Kegani aliorum de hoc relatio quorum tamen minus recepta sententiâ— est de re ipsâ in alterutram partem nihil nunc statuo nec temere putant recedendum iri graves à communiori opinione persuasione x Nostris diebus ab omnium longissimâ memoriâ fundus speluncae complanatus est reliquae terrae aequatus Sed in prima ejus institutione profundior erat ut traditio est quorundam seniorum Paulatim enim est elevatus sancientibus Episcopis annueÌ„te sedeapostolicâ Et in Margine Pavimentum Purgatorij elevatum authoriate Papae Roth. apud Messing de Purgatorio sancti Patricij cap. 2. num 28. pag. 96. The Lord Bishop of Cloghers Letter to the Lord Primate Octob. 31. 1632. o Et haecquidâ— ratio agendae poenitentiae in hoc loco uti olim frequentata ita interca semper continuata etiam hodie multis est in usu Adeo ut praefecti Angli nec possint cos impedire nec locum illum violare ausint Petrus Lomb. hib Com. de reg hib edit Lovan 1632. cap. 20. pag. 277. p Satis liquet eos ridiculos esse qui malunt D. Patricij purgatorium ridere quam causa cognoscendi veri adire Phil. O Sull. Patr. decad lib. 9. cap. 9. pag. 277. q Ibid. pag. 110. cited before in the Epist. Dedicat ad lit c.